Cutter-bar and bit-chain for mining-machines



E. T. SILVIUS.

CUTTER BAR AND BIT CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-28.1919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920,

2- SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR:

W I TNESS:

E. T. SILVIUS CUTTER BAR AND BIT CHAIN FOR MINING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. I919.

Patented Apr. 13, 19205 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR:

W1 TNESS:

urnn era as PATT FFICE.

ELLIS 'I. SILVIUS, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MORRIS H. BARTON, OE INDIANAPGLIS, INDIANA.

CUTTER-BAR AND BIT-CHAIN FOR MINING-MACHINES.

Application filed February 28, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELLIS T. SiLvius, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Cutter-Bar, and Bit-Chain for Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of -reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to machines of the types that are used in mining operations, particularly of the cutting chain type whereby cuts are made in veins of coal to facilitate the breaking up and loosening of the coal and removal thereof, the invention having reference more particularly to a bit chain and a cutter bar to support and guide the bit chain, for mining machines of the above-mentioned character.

An object of the invention is to provide cutting apparatus for mining machines which shall be of improved construction and capable of successful practical operation and make a cut of the minimum width, so as to obviate the necessity of cutting and removing a cumbersome amount of cuttings or coal dust, an aim being to provide cutting apparatus that shall be adapted to be operated with the minimum expenditure of power.

Another object is to provide improved cutting apparatus for mining machines that shall be so constructed that it must operate reliably and smoothly and not be liable to become choked with cuttings in operation.

A further object is to provide cutting apparatus of the above-mentioned character which shall be so cohstructed as to provide firm support to guide the cutting bits of the chain along true paths, and prevent the bits from gouging into the substance being cut with resultant loss of efliciency.

A still further and more specific object is to provide an improved cutting-chain which shall be so constructed as to carry the maximum number of cutting bits in the interest of efiiciency; and, to provide an improved bit-holding chain link and a cooperating cutter bar whereby each chain link shall be firmly guided and supported, so that when any cutting bit encounters a foreign or unusually hard substance the link carrying the bit shall be further supported by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 192%).

Serial No. 279,823.

adjacent chain links cooperating with the cutter bar.

\Vith the above-mentioned and other on jects in view, the invention consists in a cutter bar having novel structural features and a bit chain havin links of novel con struction so as to be rirmly supported and guided by the cutter bar, each link of the bit chain being adapted to carry a cuttingbit; and, the invention consists also further in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and further defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation, approximately central and partially broken away, illustrating the improved cutter bar with a portion of the improved bit chain thereon sufiioient to an understanding of the construction. and arrangement of the cooperating elements of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of one of the links of the improved bit chain; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the improved link; Fig. 4: is a plan view of the back or base portion ofthe improved link; Fig. 53 is a transverse central section of the improved link; Fig. 6 is a section of the cutter bar and the bit chain on the line VL-Vit in Fig. 1; and, Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse section of the improved cutter bar.

Similar reference characters in the diiferent figures of the drawings indicate corresponding elements or features of construction herein referred to in detail.

The improved cutter bar, whether designed to be used on a breast-cutting machine, or a side-cutting machine as illustrated, comprises a main central bar 1 of suitable width and thickness, the two opposite edges 2 and 3 of which are straight and smooth and adapted to constitute supporting guides for the improved bit chain, one guide sustaining the major portion of the strains or thrust of the links in operation, side plates l and 5 being arranged on opposite sides respectively of the main bar. The side plates are suitably broader than the main bar so as to extend beyond it and constitute side guides for the bit chain. One end of the cutter bar is provided with a yoke or straps 6 and 7 arranged outside of the side plates and extending beyond the adjacent ends of the main bar and the side plates, being secured thereto by means of rivets or similar securing devices 8, a suitable number of such devices securing the side plates to the main bar 1, and an axle 9 is connected to the yoke or straps and has a sprocket Wheel 10 thereon to drive the bit chain, the sprocket wheel preferably having straight face portions 11 on which are sprocket teeth 12, the contour of the .sprocket wheel preferably being hexagonal. A bevel gear wheel 13 is arranged also on the axle 9 and suitably adapted to rotate the sprocket wheel. The machine for carrying the cutter bar (being well known and not shown) has a frame portion 14 on which a driving shaft 15 is arranged that has a bevel gear wheel 16 thereon arranged in mesh with the wheel 13; and it will be understood that the machine is usually so constructed as to permit the cutter bar to be swung about in difier-.

ent directions to permit either vertical slots or horizontal slots to be cut. The opposite end of the cutter bar is suitably constructed to constitute a cutter head in which the bit chain turns, in the present case the side plates of the cutter bar having extensions 17 beyond the end of the main bar 1 that support a guide block or device 18'between them and preferably made separately from the main bar, being arranged adjacent to the end of the bar, and preferably the guide block or device is in the form of a roller mounted on an axle 19, but Whether the guide block or device is rotary or stationary it has a suitable guide face on which to guide the chain from one guide portion around to the opposite guide portion of the main bar 1. Preferably the device 18 is a wheel having fiat faces 20 and teeth 12. Opposite to the guide edge 2 of the main bar the side plates have guide bars 21 and 22 on the inner sides thereof, extending parallel with the guide 2, that are approximately as long as the main bar 1, and the side plates have also similar guide bars 23 and 24 on their inner sides opposite to the guide 3 of the main bar. Preferably each guide bar has a dovetail base 25 arranged in a suitable groove in the side plate of the cutter bar and is further secured by means of rivets 26. The guide bars 21 and 22 have tapering end portions 27 that are in proximity to the cutter head where the guide 18 is located, and the guide bars 23 and 24 have tapering ends 28 that are located adjacent to the opposite end of the side plates to facilitate the engagement of the chain links with the guide bars, in case the chain links are slightly worn and loose.

The cutting chain comprises a suitable number of links to constitute an endless chain extending about thesprocket wheel 10 and the end guide 18, and all the links of the chain are alike. Each link comprises a main portion 29 having a straight back 30 that is adapted to slide on the guide edges of the main bar 1, the opposite sides of the link being adapted to slide against the side plates 4 and 5 of the cutter bar and having grooves 31 and 32 therein to receive the guide bars on the inner sides of the side plates. The grooves have guide faces 33 and 34 that engage the guide bars and hold the back of the link to the mainbar 1 and assist in preventing the link from being forced from a true path, and the grooves have also opposite guide faces 35 and 36 to engage the opposite sides of the guide bars and further assist in holding the link to a true course. The guide faces 35 and 36 preferably have beveled or rounded forward ends 37 and 38 respectively to facilitate the engagement of the link with the guide bars. One end portion of the link is shaped to constitute two jaw ears 39 and 40 and the opposite end portion is shaped to constitute a single central ear 41 that is received between the jaw ears of an adjacent link. The jaw ears have pivot holes 42 and the single ear has a similar pivot hole 43 to receive pivots or hinge pins 44 wherebythe ears of the adjacent links are connected together. The body of the link is recessed so as to partially form the ears and thus formed the ears project a relatively short distance only beyond the body of the link, permitting long guide faces 33 and 34 which are desired. Preferably the link has rounded or bevel end portions 45 and 46 designed to cause the coal cuttings to be forced from between the ends of adjacent links as they pass from the end guide 18 to the straight guides of the cutter bar. Each link has a tooth-socket 47 therein extending from the back 30 to receive the tooth 12 of the driving wheel. Each link has also a' tool head 48 on its front portion that has a bit-socket 49 extending to the tooth-socket 47 a set-screw 50 being arranged in the forward portion of the tool head to engage a bit shank 51 inserted in the bit-socket, the shank having a suitable cutting bit 52 thereon. The tool heads on different links are set at different angles, as indicated in Fig. 6, so that different bits, shall follow separate paths and collectively cut a groove or kerf of sufficient width to receive the cutter bar, such arrangement of cutting bits being customary on cutting chains.

In practical use the cutting-chain is operated by the driving wheel 10, and the line of draft being between the guided back 30 and the plane of the guide faces 33 and 34 the drag or retarding effect due to sliding contact is approximately equal on the opposite sides of the line of draft, so that the frictional resistance is minimized. The guide faces in the grooves 31 and 32 are close to the base of the tool head 48 which tends to minimize the degree of play of the cutting bit sidewise, so that the bit can not materially deviate from its proper course, and steady cutting is thus assured. In case a hard substance is encountered by a cutting bit which would tend to tilt the link and cause the bit to gouge into the substance, such tendency iscounteracted or obviated by the very long guide faces 33 and 34:, which are permitted in the improved construction, and also through the firm connection of the link with the adjacent links which assist in stabilizing the affected link.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A mining machine cutter bar including a main bar and two side plates secured together, each side plate having a guide bar dove-tailed therein at a distance from its edge and the adjacent edge of the main bar to provide a side bearing on each side of and remote from each guide bar.

2. A mining machine cutting-chain including a plurality of bit-carrying links, each link having a tooth-socket in the middle of its back and also guide grooves in its opposite outer sides extending'adjacent to the inner end of the tooth-socket, each of the outer sides of each link havingtwo bearing faces on one and the same plane adj acent to opposite sides of the guide groove.

3. A mining machine cutting-chain including a plurality of bit-carrying links, each link having a straight back and a toothsocket in the middle of the back, each link having a bit-socket in its front extending to the tooth-socket and having also guide grooves in its outer sides arranged adjacent to the junction of the tooth-socket and the bit-socket, each grooved outer side having two straight bearing faces on one and the same plane adjacent to opposite sides respectively of the groove. 4. A mining machine cutting-chain link comprising a block link body having a straight smooth bearin back and two straight smooth guide sides, each of said sides having a guide groove therein at a distance from each edge of the guide side, said body having a central tooth-socket therein extending from said bearing back and having also a relatively small socketed tool head on the front of the link body, a hinge car on one end of said-body, and two jaw ears on the opposite end of the body, eachof said ears having a pivot hole therein arranged on the plane of the adjacent end of said body.

5. A mining machine cutting-chain link comprising a block link body that has a straight smooth bearing back andtwo opposite straight smooth guide sides, one end of said body being recessed in said sides and having a hinge ear extending from said body beyond the recesses, said ear having a pivot hole arranged on the plane of the adjacent end of said body, the opposite end of said .body being centrally recessed and having two jaw ears extending from said body beyond the recess, said jaw ears having each a pivot hole arranged on the plane of the adjacent end of said link body, said body having a tooth-socket extending from said bearing back midway between said recessed ends, each of said guide sides having a guide groove therein arranged at a distance from each edge of the guide side, and a socketed gooil head integral on the front of said link 6. A mining machine cutting-chain link comprising a block link body that has a straight smooth bearing back and two opposite straight smooth guide sides, one end of said body being recessed in said sides relatively near to said, back and a hinge ear extending from said body be ond said recesses, the opposite end of said body being centrally recessed relatively near to said back and two aw ears extending from said tions, and a relatively small socketed tool head integral on the middle of the front of said link body.

7. In a mining machine cutting apparatus, a cutter bar comprising a solid main bar that is thin and relatively broad, two relatively broader side plates secured to the main bar and extending beyond the opposite edges thereof, two guide bars secured to the side plates respectively at a distance from one edge thereof to provide cutting-chain side hearings on the side plates at the edges thereo saidbars being at a relatively greater distance from the adjacent edge of the main bar, each of said guide bars having bearing contact at three longitudinal side faces thereof with the side plate continuously throughout the length of the guide bar, a guide at one end of said main bar, a yoke having opposite members secured to the opposite end of said main bar and also to said side plates, and a driving wheel arranged at said end of the main bar and mounted in said oke.

In testimony w ereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLIS T. SKLVIUS. Witnesses:

D. W. Vonmns, F. M. Roman. 

